Luke Littler has shed light on the incident that led him to label Gian van Veen a 'cry baby' following their intense Premier League Darts match in Manchester. Van Veen emerged victorious in a contentious encounter earlier this month, which sparked a heated reaction from Littler after Van Veen turned towards him while throwing match darts in the deciding leg. According to Van Veen, Littler was 'out of order' for celebrating in the direction of the crowd, prompting him to stare back, an action that Littler believes was unwarranted. Speaking for the first time about the incident, Littler shared his perspective, stating that as he walked back, he was still facing the crowd, and Van Veen had placed his darts down, an action Littler found puzzling and disrespectful.
Littler expressed that he called Van Veen a 'cry baby' because there was no need for such behavior, especially considering that when Van Veen won, Littler congratulated him and picked up his darts. Littler also mentioned that there was no need for Van Veen to stare at him before throwing his last dart, suggesting that Van Veen should have focused on his game instead.
The young player reflected on his recent performance, admitting that his worst televised average was due to a lack of practice and a general disinterest in being there. Littler and Van Veen may face each other again in the semi-finals in Rotterdam, a prospect that could reignite their rivalry. Despite the tension, Littler believes that such incidents attract more viewers and create natural rivalries among players, similar to those between Gerwyn Price and Daryl Gurney. As the Premier League Darts continues, Littler is focused on improving his game, and fans can watch the action unfold live on Sky Sports.